A New Beginning: A Safe Home Transformed Bashonti’s Life
In a small village called Chupria Dash Para in Shatkhira district, once devastated by the elements and no shelter, Bashonti and her family now have safety, dignity, and hope — thanks to the assistance of RRF and Habitat.
Bashonti, her daughter and her husband, a rickshaw van driver who earns his livelihood by driving his own van, used to live in a frail tin and mud structure. The walls used to tremble in storms, and strong winds regularly demolished their home. The family was in constant risk, living every rainy season in uncertainty. Insects and water bugs used to come into their house, adding to their problems. Clean water was a distance away, and good hygiene was a luxury.
Everything changed when RRF and Habitat gave Bashonti’s husband a new home — built on the same land where their old home stood, but worlds apart in terms of quality and comfort. The new house is solid and weather-proof. It has individual rooms, an attached kitchen, and even a balcony — offering privacy, functionality, and a sense of pride.
The impact was immediate. No longer plagued by storms or infestations. Bashonti’s family now enjoys a cleaner, healthier space in which to live. The elevated home spares them floodwaters and insects, so everyday life is safer. Bashonti fetches clean drinking water from the tubewell at the nearby bath house, a building also provided by Habitat. Before, she would have to go a long way for safe water.
One of the greatest changes, maybe, is access to hygiene. She used to bathe in a pond, and was always suffering from skin diseases. Now, with the bath house, she and her family can bathe in clean water — a small but deep change in their quality of life. Standing in long queues doesn’t make her tired. Although her elderly mother-in-law still uses the pond, the rest of the family is enjoying the benefits of this more healthy option.
Bashonti also has the luxury of having an attached bathroom — a facility she never enjoyed before. She no longer has to go outside her home to avail herself of basic sanitation. What makes Bashonti happiest of all, however, is the stable and secure life this new home provides her daughter — a place where she can grow up and learn without fear.
From vulnerability to stability, the story of Bashonti’s family is a powerful reminder that a secure home is so much more than four walls — it’s a launching pad for a better tomorrow.
And for Bashonti, it’s the start of a new chapter of hope, health, and happiness.
